Electric belt



uio Model.)

l L. VAN DOEN.

BLEGTRIGBELT. K

No. 402,367.l Patented Apr. 30', 1889.

A Lg.;

i VUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. VAN. BORN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC BELT.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,36*?, dated April 30, 1889.

Application led March 5, 1889. Serial No. 301,924. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. VAN DORN, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Body Appliances; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. Y

This invention relates to an improvement in therapeutic electric body-wear, and the novelty will be fully understood from the following description and claims, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in

which- Figure lis a perspective view of my improved device in the form of a belt.

2o is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the batteries on the belt. Figs. 3 and 4 are views of the positive and negative electrodes, and Fig. 5 is a view of one of the electroconductors.

Before describing the details of construc-` tion, I desire to say that I am aware of a belt,

` as heretofore formed, in which calcium chloride has been used as a catalytic. I have found, however, that the action and efficiency 3o of the battery are greatly increased by the composition of matter, which I will presently describe, to saturate the fabric interposed between the positive and negative electrodes.

Referring by letter to the said drawings, A

indicates a fabric, which is of a suitable length and size to form a belt, carrying at one end a suitable buckle or other fastening device.

B indicates a thin metal plate, which is de- 4o signed to be formed from zinc, and C a similar plate formed from copper, which together comprise the electrodes of a battery. These plates are provided with numerous perforations, so as to permit the salts and acids of the body emitted by cutaneous perspiration to moisten thelcloth that covers the same, and also the cloth which will be presently described as interposed between the electrodes.

5o The belt- A is provided at suitable points Fig. 2

with punctures, and both the copper and zinc plates are provided with punctures a, which register with those in the belt, so that the same may receive an eyelet,b, or other fastening device.

D indicates a strip of flannel or similar materiahfwhich is stitched to the upper longitudinal edge, d, of the belt, and is designed to be interposed between the two sets of copper and zinc plates B and C. This interposed annel or other textile strip D, which extends the entire length of the battery portion of the belt, is saturated with a composition composed of one gallon of pure water, one-half pound of ground capsicum, one pound of calcic chloride, and one-half pound of oxide of zinc, t-he fabric being allowed to steep in said composition over night prior to use.

It will be observed that I employ two sets of copper and zinc plates-one on each side of the saturated fabricH-and securethem to the body of the belt by means of the eyelets b.

In practice the two innermost plates of copper and zinc are connected by a flexible wire, e, while the outer ones, or ones nearest the body, are allowed to remain free from connection at their ends.

E indicates a fabric, which may be composed of flannel, to be placed next to the body, and is designed to cover the electrodes B and O.

At each end of the battery portion of the belt I employ an electro-conductor, F, which is formed from metal, and is secured to the belt by the same eyelets that secure the electrodes.

Having described my invention, what 1 IOO ing said plates, the inner zinc and copper In testimonywhereofIafxmysignature in plates B C, the flannel strip saturated with presence of t-Wo Witnesses. an exciting solution and interposed between the two sets of plates, the annel strip E, TILLIAM L; VAN DORN' 5 covering the battery-plates, and the terminal Witnesses:

electrodes F, arranged substantially as shown CHARLES H. MOSELEY, and described. W'ILLIAM C. PARE. 

